Degante was arrested in 2013 on burglary charges. A DNA sample taken at the time was matched to DNA evidence collected from the victim after she was attacked.

The father of six cried in court Monday as the victim spoke about the impact he's had on her life.

"I found myself struggling with insecurities and did not want to be around other people. I stopped going to school only three months in, forcing my mother to sign me out," she said. "I continue to have trust issues about that night. There are times I am sitting alone and that night replays in my head."

High on drugs and alcohol early one morning in 2004, Degante beat and raped the young woman as she was walking to a friend’s house.

Degante turned to the victim during his sentencing and apologized.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you," he said. "There's no justification for what I did."

Delgante's attorney said his client was on drugs at the time of the attack and has no recollection of the event.

"I continue to have nightmares about that night," the victim told the court. "It's just so hard to put behind me."

Delgante was sentenced to 10 years in prison on each charge, to be served concurrently.

His fiance and family broke down in tears while the victim told him nobody deserves the brutality of the sexual assault she endured.

"This is something that I will have to battle the rest of my life but it's a battle I know I will win," she said.

Degante is also now labeled a sexual predator which means he will have to register as a sex offender every 90 days for the rest of his life.